SPORTS

Senior swishers

HS journalism: Washington (Iowa) seniors have wonderful memories

Washington (Iowa) senior Dylann Schluetter takes a shot during a game earlier this season against Williamsburg in Washington. (Daniela Diaz photo/Washington sophomore)

By Jessica Londberg, Washington (Iowa) senior

WASHINGTON, Iowa — The Washington (Iowa) girls’ basketball season has come to an end, the seniors finishing their last season of their basketball as a group of friends and teammates.

The seniors have been together for eight years and parting ways will be difficult.

Senior year is full of reminiscing old memories and parting ways from a group that has been together since kindergarten always is tough. Sports make it harder to separate from each other because of all the memories. This year’s basketball team featured five seniors who have stuck together through the good and bad — Sydney Hoffman, Addison Gaal, Dylann Schluetter, Macy Marek and Makenna Goodwin.

When discussing the years gone by, the five offered their favorite memories and explained what they will miss most about the game.

Hoffman said her favorite memory from basketball is whenever they say “swisher style” as a team. The term “swisher” means a lot to these girls because that was the group’s tournament team name when they started playing in fourth grade. Hoffman said “swisher style” means “to be as feisty and aggressive as you can.” In closing her high school career, she said, “I’m going to miss the long four months we spent together each year, where we were all together non-stop.”

In agreement with Hoffman, Gaal has a similar favorite memory. She said her favorite memory is “spending every weekend together for tournaments and when (they) said swisher style.” Although basketball is a long season, she said she is “going to miss seeing each other constantly for four months.”

Schluetter talked about her memories from tournament team basketball.

“My favorite memory (is) when we were playing Highland and we were down two or one, and I shot a buzzer-beater by the half court line,” She said, adding her favorite high school memory “will probably be (her) whole junior season and that she loves saying swisher style.”

As her final season comes to an end, she acknowledged “being a senior sucks.” Schluetter is “going to miss the bonding (they made) as a team and will definitely miss the game of basketball the most.”

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT

In a common trend of remembering the good old days, Marek said her favorite memory is playing in the Keota tournaments when they were little.

“I am going to miss games and hanging out with all of the girls,” she said. “I am also going to miss trying to dunk and jumping off of (junior) Addie Pacha’s back.”

Goodwin’s favorite memory “was when (they) were younger and (they) would all come together and say swisher style.

“What I am going to miss the most is being with my team all the time,” she added.

From saying swisher style and playing basketball as fourth-graders to becoming varsity basketball players, the game has meant a lot to these five girls. There have been good times and bad times, but basketball has brought them together over the years and is something that has created lifelong memories on and off the court.

By Jessica Londberg, Washington (Iowa) senior

Give us feedback

We value your trust and work hard to provide fair, accurate coverage. If you have found an error or omission in our reporting, tell us here.